a heart that's not walking away
by tiny-turtle-7
Summary: "I don't think May was ever meant to be alone. She knows this, I know this, Owen from 4B knows this. Ben knew this." After the war with Thanos, May starts dating again. Peter likes some of her dates more than others. AU. One-shot.


When May brings Jack Cross home one November night in Peter's sophomore year, they have dinner together at the apartment's tiny table. Jack, a former UCLA baseball pitcher, takes up the other side of the table (where Ben used to sit) with his imposing figure. Peter knows enough about baseball, one of the kids in his calculus class he's friends with, Connor, plays on Midtown's team, and is good enough to have an athletics scholarship to SUNY-Albany. Peter's been to one or two games to take pictures for the school's newspaper.

Peter likes Jack, likes the way he actually seems to care about Peter's life, the way he helps wash the dishes and dances around May like he's been doing it for a thousand years. But in the end, Jack and May don't work out, something about how Jack didn't like the hours May was working at the hospital, and how May didn't like the way that Jack seemed to be stuck in his glory years at UCLA.

" _I don't think it's going to work," May tells Peter in the first week of December._

 _Peter looks up from his chemistry homework. "It's okay, May. You'll find someone, I promise."_

 _She nods, smiles, kisses his hair. "Ice cream for dinner?"_

" _Sure," Peter says. "I hope you bought chocolate."_

* * *

May's brought home a couple boyfriends since Peter died and came back, after the war with Thanos, telling Peter, _"life's just too short now,"_ and Peter _understands_. He spends more time with May and more time with Mr. Stark and the other Avengers. He makes an effort to try to accept the guys May brings home. And for the most part, he _likes_ them.

He likes everyone but one of them, a guy named Alex, who wanted Peter to be more "athletically involved," wanted Peter to be more like Alex, a former football player, one year in the NFL before a knee injury ruined him.

" _I was going to be a star," Alex tells Peter fiercely._

" _Cool," Peter answers, busy studying for his precalc test. "Where did you go to college?"_

 _He's been trying to make an effort to get to know Alex, because May seems to really like him. He thinks that Alex reminds her of Ben, same wiry hair and thick build. He watches NFL games with Alex and pretends he knows what's happening, even though he usually cheers for the wrong team._

" _I went to the University of Nebraska," Alex says proudly._

" _That's super cool," Peter replies._

 _Alex frowns, studies Peter carefully, then shrugs and cracks another beer._

Alex didn't like the way Peter studied for hours at night, was on the decathlon team, enjoyed reading his physics textbook rather than the latest _Sports Illustrated_ magazine. He started with snide comments about Peter's chemistry pun shirts, the ones May and Tony had gotten for him, moved to just flat-out aggressiveness when May wasn't home. It escalated faster than Peter had thought it could have, and suddenly he's sitting in front of May and Tony on a couch in the Tower, trying to explain the injuries that FRIDAY said did _not_ come from his patrol, that _really_ came from when Alex caught him sneaking out one night. May is crying, Peter is shaking, Tony's pissed May takes Peter to the local NYPD precinct the next day, files charges against Alex.

" _Mr. Parker," FRIDAY says, and Peter can_ feel _his heart collapse in his chest._

 _Tony whips his head up from tinkering with the Iron Spider suit and squints at the ceiling._

" _FRIDAY,_ no," _Peter pleads. "I'm fine. They're from patrol, Tony."_

 _Peter can hear the AI tell Tony that Peter's got bruises on his temple and down his cheek and collarbone and a gash through his eyebrow (already healing) through the storm of panic in his mind. He can feel Tony's arms wrap around him and he fights then, squirming around because it feels like Alex holding him down-_

" _-er! Peter! Hey, buddy, Pete, c'mon, calm down. You're okay, kiddie. Hey, stop fighting." Tony holds Peter closer. "FRIDAY, call May."_

 _Peter throws himself out of Tony's arms violently. "FRIDAY, no, please. No. May can't know. Please."_

" _Why can't she know?"_

 _Peter will realize later that Tony tricked him into revealing his secret. "Because she likes Alex, she likes him. They're dating. I can't ruin that."_

 _May arrives at the Tower fifteen minutes later. "Peter!" she gasps._

" _May," Peter chokes. He falls into her arms, crying. "I'm sorry, May. I think I ruined everything."_

 _Tony tells her, because Peter can't force the words out of her mouth again._

She didn't date for a while after that. Peter finally sat her down at dinner and practically begged for her to start again, if she wanted to, because he _really did_ like the other guys.

" _It was just Alex, May, everyone else was plenty nice, I promise, and you can't stop just because I got hurt once. You gotta keep going if you want to. I promise I'm okay."_

* * *

About another month after that dinner, she meets Matthew Springs. Matt is a Navy officer in town for the "Fleet Week" that New York hosts every couple years, where the city is filled with sailors and Marines. Peter says hi to a bunch of Marines while he's on patrol, takes a couple pictures with them and has a few conversations. He meets a nineteen-year-old Marine named A.J. Cruz from Texas whose cousin Marco lives in Queens and was saved from a mugging by Spider-Man. May meets Matt while she's running errands. Matt graduated from the Naval Academy and is on his third sea deployment. May and Matt were instantly enamored with each other. He can't really take May out or anything, but they exchange phone numbers, and two months later, May gets a call from Matt.

They date for about eight months, through the end of Peter's junior year, Matt having chosen to leave the Navy when his deployment was finished to pursue another career. He's still on what he calls a "reserve" status, meaning that the potential for him to be called up to service is still there, apparently. Peter and May and Matt hit it off immediately. Matt's not like Alex, not like Jack, not like anyone. He's better. While he does have a fierce love of baseball, it is of the New York Mets, Peter's casual favorite team. Instead of berating Peter for not understanding, Matt sits down with him in front of a game and helps Peter figure out what's happening on the TV screen.

" _Okay, so that's the shortstop, there, in between the third baseman and second base. See him? Number 12."_

" _Oh, wait, he just caught the ball?" Peter asks hesitantly._

 _Matt fist-bumps him. "Sure did. Awesome."_

 _The crack of the bat turn Peter and Matt's attention back to the screen. "Mets score!" Peter says._

 _He and Matt high-five happily._

" _You're definitely getting the hang of it, Pete. This is awesome. You having fun? If you're not, we don't have to watch anymore."_

" _No, this is fun," Peter replies. "I like this. You're a good teacher."_

 _Matt grins. "Awesome to hear. I'm having fun too."_

" _Dinner, Mets monsters," May says from where she's leaning against the doorjamb._

 _Matt and Peter leap up, Matt body-checking Peter into the couch. Peter stands back up, laughing, and takes Matt down from behind._

" _Yes!" Peter says. "I win! Dessert for me!"_

 _Matt rolls his eyes fondly and laughs too._

Matt proposes to May in September of Peter's senior year. They're upstate near the compound, picking apples in an orchard that Bucky and Steve are fond of going too. Matt directs Peter to lead May to a spectacular-looking tree with multiple bright red apples. May brightens when she sees the tree, picking several off and putting them into the bag that Peter's holding out. Matt says "Hey, May," then, and she turns around to see him down on one knee with a ring. Peter's got his phone out, recording. A few apples spill out of the bag and bounce into Matt's leg. "So?" he asks her, and Peter can see tears shining bright in her eyes.

"Yes," she tells him. "Yes."

* * *

May and Matt's wedding is held on a beautiful April day, a Sunday, up at a field just outside the compound. Pepper acts as May's maid of honor, and Matt's Navy friend, Cody, is his best man. Peter is a groomsman, Matt's niece Maggie is the flower girl and his nephew Logan is the ringbearer. Logan and Maggie are twins, both four, the kids of Matt's sister, Beth. They live in Brooklyn and Peter's babysat for them and their younger brother, Vincent, a couple times.

" _Logan and Maggie, Peter's going to babysit for you tonight, okay?" Beth tells her twins._

 _Logan squirms off of the couch and runs to Peter's legs, holding on. "Peta!"_

" _Hey, LoLo," Peter grins._

 _Beth ruffles Logan's hair and kisses Maggie's forehead. She grabs her purse off the counter and tosses the keys to Josh, her husband. Josh shakes Peter's hand, thanks him. Beth turns back to her children and kneels in front of them. "Behave for Peter, okay?"_

" _Okay, Mama," Maggie says._

 _Beth and Josh leave, the door locking with a_ click.

" _Legos?" Logan says, happily holding up a tiny Lego person._

* * *

May wants Peter to speak at the wedding, and he spends weeks agonizing over it, because he's a senior in high school, he's old enough to write a decent groomsman/nephew of the bride speech. He spends the time in Mr. Stark's lab writing his speech instead of his typical tinkering with his suits. When he's finished, he types it up and prints five copies, so if he loses one it's not the end of the world. He makes it long enough to be meaningful and funny enough that it won't get exceedingly boring. Mr. Stark tells him to view it as practice for his graduation speech. When Peter is finally finished tweaking and editing, the speech is just around 600 words.

 _I wasn't old enough to remember when Uncle Ben and Aunt May got married. I was a crying four-month-old, and I probably made the wedding more difficult for both my parents_ and _May and Ben. Sorry! But today, I am a senior in high school. I've sat through almost twelve years of English classes; I'm going to MIT; I should be able to write a decent speech. Mr. Stark - Tony, sorry - can back this up: I've spent around a solid ten hours writing this. That's ten more hours than I've ever spent on any school essay. I'm kidding, I'm kidding, relax, Aunt May. Relax._

 _May and I have always had to stick together. When Ben passed, it was the hardest time of my life - and I've fought Captain America. That was a joke, Steve, Tony, May. A joke. I swear. Chill. It was awful for me because I kept telling myself, "you stupid useless kid, why didn't you stop it? why didn't you do anything at all? you were right there!" Literally the only thing that got me through it was May. She would just sit me down and tell me over and over that it wasn't my fault and that there wasn't anything I could have done. Let me tell you, fourteen-year-old Peter had about the thickest head there was, so getting that through the cement in my brain wasn't any old easy task. The ice cream we'd have for dinner helped that task a little bit, I will say._

 _But May got me through it. Even though May was going through the exact same thing I was, even worse than I was, she didn't hardly think twice about herself. Her mindset was always focused on me. And that is something I will be eternally grateful for, more than you will probably ever know, May._

 _I think everyone here knows what happened with Alex. Anyway, after Alex, May refused to date. Wouldn't even think about just getting a drink with the nice guy in 4B, Owen, because she was worried I wouldn't be okay with it. It's still a little unbelievable to me, the lengths May goes through to make sure I'm happy and safe and healthy and being the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. The thing is, though, I don't think May was ever meant to be alone. She knows this, I know this, Owen from 4B knows this. Ben knew this._

 _Matt, you are a good person. I know that. I really appreciate everything you've done for May and me in the year that you've known us. Thank you for teaching me about baseball, and how to ask a girl to homecoming without passing out from nervousness. Thank you for helping me study for AP Euro, and for teaching me the best way to do my calculus homework. You are the perfect man for May. That being said, May is my #1 priority. I trust you won't be another Alex. I am so glad that you are my step... uncle? Honestly, I don't know how this works. Thank you for everything, Matt, and welcome to the Parker family. It's good to have you on board._

 _May, I love you so, so much. Thank you for everything you've done for me. I know it hasn't always been easy for you; I haven't always been easy for you. Thank you for staying up until I climb in your window from patrol. Thank you for always making me your No. 1 priority even over yourself. I larb you, May. Happy wedding day._

 _Love, Peter._

* * *

At the wedding reception, Tony comes up to Peter and claps him on the back, praising him for the speech. Pepper comes by too, telling Peter it was better than Tony told her it would be, but then again, she had no doubt Peter would outperform any expectations.

He's sitting with Matt and May, bouncing Vincent on his lap. The ten-month-old is babbling to himself, fussing when Peter's knee stops its motion. May leans over, kisses his cheek again, tears forming in her eyes.

"I love you so much, baby," she says.

"Hey, say thanks, Vinnie," Peter jokes.

May slaps his arm lightly. "Pete. I really do, honey. Your speech was out of this world. I'm going to cry again."

"May," Matt grins. "May, I love you too. Will you cry for me?"

May wheels on him. "Oh, shut up, Matt. Peter's my favorite. You know that."

Matt looks vaguely offended, then claps Peter on the back. "Hear that, Pete? You're her _favorite."_

Vincent flaps his hands and gurgles happily.

"Love you too, Matt," Peter says.

May looks fondly on them, clasping their hands in her own. "I larb you guys," she tells them. "My boys."


End file.
